{image1}Mike and Kim Schmidt, the owners of Bella's Fat Cat (1233 E. Brady St.), don't work 15-hour days anymore. Although they still diligently roll up their sleeves, the success of the business allows them to focus on other endeavors, like their family and the opening of a second Bella's in Bay View.
"We had great success on Brady, and KK has a lot of similarities. It's a high-density area on a nice, busy street," says Mike, who plans to open the second custard-and-burger shop this April inside his new building at 2737 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
The second Bella's will be similar to the first, except it will feature a larger dining area and a party room that's available for private events. Like the original restaurant, the new place will change custard flavors every day and serve 100-percent sirloin, made-to-order burgers.
"I can't say we're better than anyone else," says the 34-year-old Milwaukee native who grew up on the northwest side. "We just put a lot of pride in our food and try to be unique with our (custard) flavors."
The Schmidts' commitment to local businesses is reflected in flavors like Anodyne chocolate espresso, amaretto cookie (a collaboration with Brady Street's Sciortino's Bakery) and Rishi chai custard.
Mike, who started working in the custard business as a teenager at the now-defunct Kalt's on 76th Street, spent most of the '90s owning bars like the Velvet Room and The Warehouse (now the Dragon Lounge), but after his 1999 marriage decided to open something more family-oriented.
Schmidt said a lot of people questioned his decision to open a hamburger joint in an area with a high concentration of vegetarians, but he believes there is enough diversity to appreciate a variety of preferences.
"We've even had a couple of requests for veggie burgers with bacon on them," he says.
Surprisingly, long winters haven't affected custard sales, nor has the popularity of low-fat and low-carb diets.
"But when you really beak it down, the stuff we use is fresh and not processed," Schmidt says in defense of his menu. "And we do offer healthful selections like whole wheat bread, veggie dogs and veggie burgers. We don't try to slather on a pound of butter, just use fresh ingredients to make it tasty as possible without over doing it."
Artists Gabe Lanza and Beth Bojarski are working on new pieces for the south side Bella's. Lanza's playful, colorful painting of a cat in a Bella's uniform is the focal point of the Brady Street establishment.
Although Mike works fewer hours than he did when he first opened, he still flips burgers on a regular basis, but now by choice. "You need that kind of dedication to make it your own, but we definitely have other priorities now, so we try to balance the career with the kids," says Mike, who has a three-year-old son named Kaiden and an eight-month-old daughter named Ava with his wife Kim.
The new location's custard will be created from a standard mix made in Appleton, but the exciting part for the Schmidts is being able to add their own signature ingredients.
"Custard tastes a little different everywhere you go," says Mike, whose favorite flavors are Rocky Road and Chunky Monkey. "That's what makes it so great and that's why Wisconsinites love it."
Bella's in Bay View, like Bella's on Brady Street, will be open every day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, or to find out the flavor of the day, call (414) 273-2113
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
